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Joyce glanced uneasily at Nola. “We are so sorry to hear about your mother, Nola.”
“Thank you,” Nola said. “She’s getting stronger every day. I’ll tell her you asked after her.”
Nola watched as the Harpers fixed their plates and settled into their seats. She noticed how Cam Harper and Maggie didn’t make eye contact.
“Maggie, you used to babysit for the Harpers when you were young, right?” Nola asked.
“Yeah, I did,” Maggie shifted in her chair. “How old are the twins now?” she asked, directing her question to Joyce.
“Thirty-two. Can you believe it?” Joyce marveled spearing up a forkful of pasta salad. “They have their own kids now. Cam is just champing at the bit when Sophie gets to the high school so he can coach her in softball.”
“Oh, you coach softball?” Nola asked, turning to Cam. “How old are the girls you coach? Fourteen, fifteen?”
“Somewhere around there,” Cam said, focused on his plate. “I love the game.”
“What’s your next project, Colin?” Maggie asked, steering the conversation to a different topic.
“Actually, I have a few in the hopper,” Colin said. “A sculpture of a family for the entrance area of the hospital in Willow Creek and one for the orchard.” He gave Shaun a big grin.
“Nice,” Nola said, leaning forward on her elbows. “I’ve always thought a sculpture of a bird would be pretty. Don’t you think? Maybe one in red, like a cardinal.” Nola looked first at Maggie and then at Cam as she spoke. “Some people say that when you see a cardinal, it’s a dead loved one coming to visit you.”
“What a nice thought,” Joyce said, oblivious to the tension at the table. “I’ve never heard that before.”
“How about it, Colin?” Nola asked. “Do you think you could do that for me?”
“Sure,” Colin agreed affably. “I’ll stop by next week and you can tell me more about what you’re thinking.”
“Excuse me for a moment,” Cam said, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. “I’ll be right back.” He went around the side of the house and toward the front yard.
“Such a bad habit,” Joyce said once Cam was out of earshot. “He’s tried quitting a million times but can’t kick it. I swear it will be the death of him.”
“So,” Nola said, turning toward Maggie. “What’s going on with my sister’s case? What juicy tidbits can you tell us? When will the DNA come back? Any new suspects?”
“Why do you want to talk to Maggie?” Henry asked in annoyance. “That’s my case, Nola. If you have any questions, you should ask me.”
“Okay, then,” Nola said, leaning in close to Henry. “Who do you think killed my sister?”
Maggie abruptly stood. “Sorry, I can’t talk about the case.”
“Are you okay?” Colin asked. “Do you need water?”
Shaun stood and gently put a hand on Maggie’s back. “I think she just needs to go home and get some rest. It’s been quite the week with the fire and all. You go on to the truck, Maggie, I’ll grab our stuff.”
“Ahh, the fire,” Nola said, “I almost forgot about that. Any leads on how that started?”
Maggie ignored her question and Shaun’s gesture and went into the house.
“I’ll go after her,” Colin offered.
“No, let me,” Nola said. “You stay.” Nola let herself into the house and watched as Maggie pushed through the front door and stopped short when she saw Cam Harper smoking a cigarette on the front lawn.
Nola watched as Maggie stared at Cam for a long moment, straightened her spine and walked directly toward him. Though she couldn’t hear what was being said, Nola could tell by the stunned expression on Cam’s face that Maggie was giving him an earful. Cam reeled backward and held up his hands as if they could shield him from the onslaught of words, then he regained his composure and stepped forward. Maggie held her ground, hand on hips, mouth moving rapidly. Cam looked as if he might explode but instead brushed roughly past her and toward the Kennedy backyard.
“Go, Maggie,” Nola whispered, surprised at Maggie’s vehemence. Nola could only imagine what Maggie had to say to Cam, but whatever it was, it hit its mark. This was getting more interesting by the minute.
Maggie awkwardly lowered herself to the curb. For a moment Nola wondered if something might be wrong with the baby, but Maggie was simply struggling to tie her shoe.
“I wonder what that was all about,” Shaun said, looking over Nola’s shoulder.
“I have no idea,” Nola murmured. Obviously Shaun had no inkling of Maggie’s past involvement with Cam Harper. Shaun stepped past her and down the steps. Nola watched with interest as he held out his hands to help Maggie to her feet. So many secrets just waiting to be spilled, she thought. Nola couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.
